My Angel Of Destiny
by Yoshi2112
Summary: When Nagoya meets the duelling prodigy, Aster Phoenix, her life is turned upside down by series of mysterious events that leads to a discovery of her missing/presumably dead father. Will friendship, romance, and bravery help the duo find him?
1. Chapter 1: Beginnings

**Hello! I'm Yoshi and this is my first story to be updated here at FanFiction. I wrote this story a while ago and first published it in Quizilla(under the pseudonym "Yukisnowchan21"). However, bizarre things keep on happening when I publish on Quizilla, so, I moved here after my friend recommended me to. **

**I'm starting to enjoy it here, it's so cool^^ I guess the best thing I like about this website is that people can give you recommendations(reviews) and things. I like it when people leave me comments and I don't mind criticism(as long as it's not too outrageously harsh)**

**Another thing I love about this website is that it has a spell check thingy *sigh* (why didn't they have this in Quizilla?)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu Gi Oh! GX and the characters I have used from the Yu Gi Oh! and Yu Gi Oh! GX universe are solely the creations of Naoyuki Kageyama. Other characters mentioned are mainly my creations or celebrities on television (I do not own or know them, as you can see in this chapter) Casey Nagoya is my creation (absolutely fictional) and any coincidental or resemblance to this character is purely coincidental.**

**I truly hope you enjoy this fanfic and please R&R!**

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**Chapter 1 Beginnings**

[3:00 p.m. At School Library]

"Have you finished recording the names, Casey?"

As the captain of Siemens Institutional College, it was the duty of the captains to arrange appointments for the school. Each year, we had an important school assignment to complete. This year, the assignment for all students was to interview a famous person and write a report discussing about their contributions to the society and a biography. This was no ordinary assignment; there was a catch to it. The catch was that this assignment was going to contribute towards a quarter of our end of the year report! Further more, the best written report would be published as a book and sold all over the city! I haven't even mentioned the best part! Prize money!

"Casey! Have you finished recording?"

"Oh...yep! Here's the list Rob."

"Here, the software just listed the statistics from the vote for the assignment. Do I need to print out the whole? Or just the top 50?"

"Just the top 50, Dean"

So here we are, the 3 school captains, in the school library working on the possible candidates for our upcoming "assignment". Dean was captain for the technology department; he's a genius on computers, never missing a trick. One of Dean's favorite hobbies was inventing computer software, which assisted us a lot in this organization process.

"Wow man! Awesome software dude!"

This was Rob, or Robert, captain for sporting. Rob was the fastest runner, best achieving player in football, basketball, dodge ball, cricket...you name it, and he's the man! Most girls in my school ogle over him, saying that he's hot or cute. I have even lost count how many fan girls he has!

Me, on the other hand, I'm more into the academic side of school. (Chem., Bio., Phys., Mathematics, English...)

"Wow this is some list!" Rob exclaimed.

"Let's see!" I snatched the paper away from him in one swift movement. The list was intimidating!

_Preferences for Assignment Candidates:_

_(1) Yugi Moto_

_(2) Seto Kaiba_

_(3) George W. Bush_

_(4) Joey Wheeler_

_(5) Aster Phoenix_

_(6) Maximillion Pegasus_

_(7) Paris Hilton_

_(5) Britney Spears _

_(9) Yugi's grandfather (Mr. Moto)_

_(10) Zane Truesdale_

"Eh... Dean? Rob? I thought we told the whole school at the assembly that celebrities and presidents weren't allowed?" I said, awkwardly.

"Guess they forgot! Hey look! It's got you on it too Case!" Rob said as he jerked up from his lazy position.

"You're kidding? Where?"

"Here! Number 20!"

"Does it have you guys?"

"Nah...Don't think so..."

"Hang on! It's here! Rob you're 35!"

Wow, womanizer power!

"Why is there so many dueling dudes on the list?" Rob had asked.

"You just realized?" I said sarcastically.

"Shut up!"

"Well, the dulling craze is all over the world!" I stated. "Is that a big enough clue?"

"Shut up..." Rob had muttered,

"Well, all I know is, I am going to cross out George W. Bush, Britney and Paris from the list..."

"Who did you guys vote for?" Dean spoke, after glancing up from his computer.

"I voted for David Beckham!" Rob said enthusiastically. "He's awesome!"

"What about you Casey?"

"I voted for...eh... I forgot..." I mumbled, looking embarrassed. "Ah! I voted for Albert Einstein!"

"I thought we were only allowed to vote for people who were alive..."

"Just because you don't have his brain..." I retorted.

"You don't have his brain too!"

"So...Dean," I said, completely ignoring Rob's comment, "Who did you vote for?"

"I voted for Bill Gates of course! Creator of Microsoft and I aim to be like him!" he said proudly, "I was originally planning to vote for Seto Kaiba but I changed my mind at the last minute..."

"Wow..." I said softly. He's already has his future planned out! I don't even know if I have a future... "So, we have to call all 7 of these people and ask them if they can come?"

'I'm taking Yugi and Aster!" Rob blurted out.

"Hey! No fair! I want to call Yugi!" Dean argued..

"Why?" Rob smirked, "Oh, you want to discuss tactics with him about you're little game?"

"I'll take Joey, Pegasus and Yugi's grandfather." I said loudly, interrupting the glares.

"Then that leaves me with," Dean said slowly. "Seto Kaiba and ...Zane Truesdale..."

Dean looked gloomy, "Why do I get to phone the scary guys?"

"Ha ha sucker!" Rob was laughing ecstatically.

"Oh come on Dean! You can always email them." I added. Dean's face instantly lit up. "That means I don't need to talk to them phone to phone!"

"Exactly!"

"Thanks Casey! You saved me from malfunctioning!"

"Eh...Dean...? You're not a machine, you can't malfunction..."

"Oh... right!"

"Anyway..." I started, "Here are the phone numbers and emails for each of the candidates, we'll call them today or someday in the week. But remember, the assignments start in 2 weeks so they must be able to come next week. Remember that!"

"Yes, yes ma'am!" Rob and Dean chanted.

"Alright then! I've got to go and work, see you guys on Monday!" I said, as I stood up from my chair with my already packed bag. "Bye guys!"

"You still work at that restaurant?"

"Yep! Same place same job. Bye then guys!"

"Bye Casey!"

_to be continued....._

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**I hope you have enjoyed this first chapter! I will be updating previous chapters I have publish on Quizilla as well as the new ones I have typed up. Please R&R, I appreciate it! (Even criticism)**

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	2. Chapter 2: Emergence

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Hello! It's Yoshi here again.  
Well, I decided I might as well upload every chapter I have uploaded at Quizilla so I can start typing new ones. I will also update the ones I have tried to update and had problems at Quizilla. Happy Reading!

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**Chapter 2 Emergence**

[4:00 p.m. At Espressivo Appassionata Restaurant]

I sighed in relief as I wiped the top of the grand piano with a dry towel. _So glad I made I in time...phew!_ *Sweat Drop* I thought to myself. It was normally 5 when the guests started arriving in the restaurant, which was when the restaurant officially opened.

"Espressivo Appassionata" was originally a small Italian restaurant operated by Giuseppe Marconi and his family. However, as the introduction of fast food companies increased, Giuseppe decided to "revolutionize" his restaurant, making it "multicultural". Ever since the change of style, "Espressivo Appassionata" has been one of the most popular restaurants in Siemens City. Countless customers have arrived and dined in here ranging from normal citizens to important business CEOs. Once, the president even came here to discuss important business!

Giuseppe had always welcomed his customers with utmost warmth and believed that every customer should enjoy the experience of eating/dining/talking "Espressivo Appassionata" (which means eating expressively and with passion).

Giuseppe has always welcomed me to work at his restaurant as the only pianist. I started working here when I was 10 and Giuseppe had always welcomed me and never restricted me to play any genre. I felt free here, unlike at home, where I had to face my step father, step brother, step sister and my mother, who was hardly at home.

"Casey! Are you ready to play "Espressivo Appassionata"?" Giuseppe had asked me as he put a warm arm around me. "Hang on Giuseppe! I haven't changed out of my uniform yet!" I smiled as I replied.

Giuseppe winked at me and laughed his famous jolly laugh (very similar to Santa Claus) "You better get changed fast _amigo_! The guests are waiting outside!"

"You're being multicultural again!" I laughed along with him, he looked so happy today. His plump face and rosy cheeks resembled Santa Claus even more when his eyes wrinkled. "We're doing good today! Keep up the good work and don't forget to put your "tips" bucket on the piano!"

"Oh! That! Thanks for the reminder Giuseppe! I nearly forgot about that!"

"It's all good! Go get changed now Tomodachi! (Friend in Japanese)"

"You better get changed too!" I replied, "Chef Marconi!"

"Ah yes yes! Now go now! And remember to play Beethoven and Phantom of the Opera this time... Tina loves them, you know!" Giuseppe patted me on the head and I watched his plump figure walk away towards the kitchen door, where Tina, his wife was standing, waving happily at towards my direction, her round chubby face glistening with happiness. I waved back, glad to see then looking content, as usual. IO hurried away to the toilet to change out of my school uniform (which consisted of a dark blue blazer, blue tie, long sleeved collar shirt and a dark blue knee high skirt) into my usually costume for piano playing : A black suit with matching pants and shoes. I felt relaxed today, so I scanned through the wardrobe Giuseppe provided me at the first day to look for my favorite blue collar shirt. I tied my hair up into a high bun and felt the short strands of hair fall onto my cheeks. I pushed those strands of hair behind my ear and stared at the mirror, only to see an ordinary girl looking back, with a pallid, unhealthy complexion. I was just okay-looking. Makeup wasn't necessary because I hated it! It was a pain!

I breathed in deeply and walked out of the toilet preparing to play some scales and arpeggios to warm up.

Just when I was half way through the 2nd inversion of A b (A flat) major arpeggios, someone had tackled me onto the piano keys, an enormous sound of keys crashing had exploded and echoed through the empty restaurant.

"Jonathon! Can you _please_ get off me?" I smiled politely at the 8 year old.

"Casey! Casey! YOU'RE HERE!!! YOU'RE HERE!" Jonathon had cried happily. "Guess what!"

"Hmm?"

"Daddy bought me a new deck of cards!"

"Cool! What kind?"

"Elemental Heroes! Just like the one's Aster used last time!" Jonathon was a big fan of Aster Phoenix. He watched nearly every single match Aster had participated at the pro-league (Except the ones when it passed his bedtime). "Next time I want to have Aster's Destiny heroes!" Jonathon had added.

"I don't think Mr. Phoenix would want to give you his D-heroes, Jonathon."

"Why not?"

"Well, they're unique! I don't think he'd like to part them and you've just got your Elemental Heroes!"

"Fine," Jonathon had pouted. "Let's play!"

"Sorry, Jon, you know I can't duel."

"I can teach you! It's fun!"

"The guests are coming soon, I've got to practice. Why don't you play with Cindy?"

Cindy was Jonathon's 7 year old sister. She was extremely shy. It took her a long time to get used to having me around their restaurant. Once she opened up, she was actually a really sweet child.

"Cindy doesn't like dueling! She likes to play with Barbie dolls!"

"You could think of some strategies to use while dueling your friends at school!"

"Thanks for the ideas Casey!" Jonathon had hugged me tightly. "How long are you staying today?"

"Well, today's Friday, so I'm staying till 10 which is _way_ past your bedtime!" I replied, while patting his golden head. "Now, now, go and think of some strategies to beat your friends!"

"Kay!" Jonathon ran off happily towards the kitchen. "Bye bye Casey! See you on Monday!"

[4:15 p.m.]

There was only 15 minutes left, so I decided to skim through my tattered book of Beethoven's Sonatas, looking for Op. 27 No.14 The famous Moonlight Sonata. Giuseppe had come out of the kitchen, already changed into his chef uniform. He gave me thumbs up and I grinned back. I watched him welcome the first couple that walked into the restaurant and I turned around and started playing.

[6:00 p.m.]

After an hour of non-stop playing, Cindy had walked towards the piano and placed my "tips" bucket on the piano. I smiled at her gratefully and mouthed "Thank you". Cindy had blushed beetroot red and she skipped happily away. I turned around and saw nearly every table in the vast room was filled. Giuseppe had lit the candles on the table, filling the room with a warm atmosphere.

The room was filled with the aroma of Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Indian food, my stomach had growled unexpectedly loudly and I stuffed some premium biscuits into my mouth to stop starvation. While I was watching the guests eating, I unexpectedly watched an excited Jonathon walking towards one of the tables in the middle of the room, holding a piece of paper with pictures on it, a pen and his deck of dueling cards!

I was so curious at what Jonathon was doing that I didn't notice a guest was talking to me.

"...You're favorite composer?"

"Oh...sorry!" I turned around reluctantly, "My favorite composer is Beethoven."

"Why?" The guest had asked me, smiling. "Why Beethoven when there is Mozart, Debussy and Chopin?"

I had been in the same argument at school too, so I was smiling. "My friend once said: "Mozart composes from the things around him. But Beethoven composes from his heart." Beethoven may seem to be, eh...bad tempered, but his music has that feeling of passion with aspects such as anger, fear and happiness which fits into the human everyday life! What do you think? Sir?"

"Very good answer!" His smile widened, "But other composers also have included those aspects in their music, why is it only Beethoven to you?"

"I guess it's personal preference, and probably because my temper is similar to Beethoven's..." I explained, looking embarrassed.

The guest, a wise, old looking mad smiled again. "You remind me of my best friend," he said, "Do you mind if I played something?" he asked politely.

"Sure! Go on ahead!" I stood up quickly and gestured him towards the seat.

"Thank you very much!" was all he said as he sat down on the black piano chair. He sat there with his hands on the keys, and suddenly, he started playing Debussy's "Clair De Lune". His fingers were extremely agile, despite his age. He was enjoying himself and I felt happy that I had made him pleased. I glanced towards the table where Jonathon was originally standing, only to see an empty path.

"Casey..." Cindy was tugging my jacket. She looked flushed.

"Cindy, are you alright? You look red!" I asked the 7 year old.

"Jonathon...He's sitting with a guest..."

"Where?" I asked, curiously.

Cindy had pointed towards the table where I last say Jonathon standing.

"Let's go and have a look then!" I encouraged the child. She nodded and continue tugging my shirt as we walked towards the table.

There Jonathon was, sitting with 2 guests on the same table, concentrating very hard.

As we approached the table, my eyes widened as I recognized one of them. Wearing silver formal wear, a loose fitted neck-tie, sapphires eyes, grey hair...

Jonathon was dueling non other than his idol, **_Aster Phoenix_**.

_to be continued....._

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**Please R&R. Thank you!**

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	3. Chapter 3: Thoughts

**Chapter 3 Thoughts**

[Aster's POV]

"Sartorius? What are we doing here?" I asked as Sartorius gestured me to follow him in the restaurant "Expressivo Appassionata".

"Sartorius?"

A plump chef was welcoming us into our seats in the middle of he room, where a four seated table was reserved just for us. Sartorius had sat down swiftly into the chair opposite where I was standing. Sweet piano music trailed around the room. A large candle was lit in the middle of the table, menus and plates were spread out neatly in front of us. Nearly every table in the room was full. As I sat down reluctantly, Sartorius spoke.

"Aster, today is going to be life changing for you. My cards tell me so. Someone here is going to influence you, a lot." He smiled as he raised his card "The Wheel"

I was dumbstruck. I didn't see why anyone would influence me other than Sartorius himself.

"What do you mean 'Influence'?" I asked impatiently, Sartorius was being so mysterious today, and it irritated me. "Good or bad?"

Sartorius had smiled as he said, "Always both...and you have a little fan coming!" A little boy around the age of eight, accompanied by the plump chef that was welcoming us before had approached the table.

"Mr. Phoenix!" The chef had spoken in a strong Italian accent, "I am Chef Marconi and this is my son Jonathon Marconi. Such a pleasure having you here today!"

I shook his hand, he had a firm grasp. His son, Jonathon, was looking at me intently, admiration clearly shown in his green eyes. I smiled at him as the Chef spoke once again.

"Ah... Mr. Phoenix? Jonathon is a big fan of yours."

Jonathon had nudged his dad as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment, "He has watched nearly all your duels at the Dueling Pro-league!"

Jonathon was now hiding behind his dad.

"Well, is here anything I can do for you, my No. 1 fan?" I asked, amused at his reactions. Jonathon had perked up from his dad's back.

"Mr. Phoenix...C-can I have your autograph please?"

"Sure, sure! Anything you want! Hang on; do you have some paper Sartorius?" I asked. Sartorius was staring straight ahead of me, not appearing to hear my question. "Sartotius?"

"Mr. Phoenix?" Jonathon had spoken. "I've got some paper...can you wait for me please?"

"Sure!"

Jonathon had ran towards the kitchen, bumping into his sister half way. He was so excited that he was shaking his sister on the shoulders. His sister looked at me and flushed bright red as she realized I was watching them. She then skipped off in the opposite direction Jonathon was heading.

"You knew all about this didn't you?" I aimed at my companion. Sartorius nodded.

"The cards don't lie."

"Hmph...I'm not looking forward to having fans crowding around me."

"They won't, but that special someone will."

Jonathon had returned with a piece of paper and pen, and surprisingly, a deck of dueling cards.

He had handed me the piece of paper carefully. The paper was full of pictures of _**ME**_ dueling, with my monsters. I quickly signed my name, trying to make it as readable as possible, not wanting to disappoint my little fan. "To Jonathon..." I wrote.

"Mr. Phoenix?"

"Hmm?"

"C-can you duel me?"

Sartorius was smiling even more now. He had reminded me to bring my deck today, saying that I needed it for a special occasion.

[After 15 minutes]

Jonathon, now sitting at the seat Sartorius had originally sat (Sartorius happily exchanged seats with him), was concentrating really hard.

I had 3000 Life Points remaining, he had 1000.

I was playing easy on him, since he was a child. I got to admit, he has the skill to enroll Duel Academy! Sartorius was sipping his wine quietly, his eyes scanning around the room.

"Now I send Carnivorous root, plant and stem from my hand into the graveyard," Jonathon had explained, "And I summon Carnivorous Plant in Attack Mode!"

He had laid out his cards correctly on the table.

"Now attack Avian with Stinging Plant Juice!"

I flipped open my trap card "Hero Barrier"

"I activate my face down 'Hero Barrier'. This card negates all damage inflicted upon my monster!"

Jonathon's sister was pulling someone's shirt as they approached. Both of them stood silently as our little game progressed.

I looked up to see the stranger, and I nearly dropped all my cards.

There she was, standing there, she was _**beautiful**__._ Hair tied up in an elegant bun, wearing a black suit with a blue shirt underneath. Her movements were so graceful and how her voice had encouraged Jonathon, it was so soothing. Like an angel's voice, I wished she was cheering me on instead...

Sartorius had caught my expression; it made me wonder if this, this angel was what the person he was mentioning about before?

"Mr. Phoenix?" Jonathon had spoken, interrupting me from my stare. "This is my sister, Cindy. And this is my friend and pianist, Casey Nagoya."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Phoenix." She had reached out her right hand, gesturing for a handshake.

I was too stunned by her beauty and grace that I took her hand gently and pressed my lips onto the back of her hand. I was shocked by my reaction, and I was sure she was too.

A blush had formed on her cheeks, making it even rosier, and even more beautiful.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Nagoya."

That was all I could come up with. She smiled that beautiful smile as let go of her hand. We just stared into each others eyes for a brief moment, until Sartorius had kicked my foot, reminding me that I had a duel to continue.

"My draw!" I stated, sounding a bit funny.

Pot of Greed. As I was about to activate the card's ability, Casey had suddenly moved nervously.

I glanced up and saw her face was sweating, ashen, her eyes widened in fear.

"Eh..." She stammered, as she tried to regain her composure. "I-I got to go back to the piano now. Um...I'll see you around."

She took a deep bow and left hurriedly. As I stared after her, my feelings arouse dramatically. "What just happened?"

_t__o be continued....._

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**Please R&R. Thank you!**

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	4. Chapter 4: Arising Problems

**Hehehe! Hello it's Yoshi here again! I've changed the title of this chapter from "When Complications Arise" to "Arising Complications" and then finally to "Arising Problems". Haha I know you're probably thinking "They all sound the same" but I did not want to repeat the same words over and over again. Just a little habit of mine. Anywho, Happy reading!**

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**Chapter 4 Arising Problems**

[Aster's POV]

As I stared after her, my feelings arouse dramatically.

_What just happened?_ I thought as I stared back into the card - Pot of Greed.

I didn't use that card for the rest of the duel; I didn't need to use it.

It took a while before the piano music had started again. Moonlight Sonata. It was soft, sweet expressive but sad. I wasn't paying attention to the duel anymore.

It bothered me too much.

I couldn't stop thinking of her.

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[Satorious's POV]

He was smitten. I've never seen him act this way before. It was faster than I predicted, the Lovers card was in my pocket.

Lovers

They were destined to be lovers.

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[Casey's POV]

"Such a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Phoenix"

I reached out my hand towards Aster Phoenix, expecting a handshake. I was stunned at the intensity of his sapphire eyes, how it took hold of my own.

Slowly, without breaking out eye contact, he reached forward, took my outstretched hand, and gently pressed his soft lips onto the back of my hand while closing his soft eyes.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Nagoya." He said politely. His smile was genuine and his speech was genteel. It was hard to believe that he was the same age as most of the guys in my year level! He was well mannered, a child prodigy in both duelling and education (2 PhDs!). A professional athlete too!

My face heated up instantly as soon as he let go of my hand, returning to the intense eye contact he had done before.

His gaze returned back onto the duel, his eyes were burning with passion. Jonathon was still starring at his cards, thinking hard for a combat strategy. Cindy was still hiding behind my back, looking at the guests at the next table. Aster Phoenix's companion, his manager, I assumed, was sipping his wine quietly.

"My draw," Aster had flipped open a card. I froze as I stared in shock at that card-- Pot of Greed.

"_Are you stupid or not?"_

"_You can't put that card in your deck!"_

"_That's cheating!!"_

"_You're a liar! You little bitch! You can never beat me, NEVER!"_

Those voices, those angry voices had filled in my head once again. I had to leave. Tears were welling up in my eyes and I had moved uncertainly, not knowing what to do. I could feel the sweat forming on my head and all I could mutter was "I got to go back to the piano, See you around."

I bowed and caught a glimpse of Aster's expression, confusion and concern as I escaped from that card. I scurried away, away from that card, away from that table and away from Aster and the others.

"_You can't duel! You don't' even know how to use that card!"_

"_That's cheating! You liar!"_

"_No it doesn't! Right Daddy?"_

"_You think you're so smart…"_

"_Drawing 2 cards? With Pot of Greed? You are insane! That is so out of order!"_

"_You're Daddy is D-E-A-D! Hhahahahhaha!"_

I wiped my tears off with the back of my hand, where Aster had just kissed me. The voices were decreasing in my head; I breathed in deeply and let out a jagged breath. Ronald Richardson, my step-brother's voice still sounded so familiar, his cruel laugh, his painful contradictions and his bad use of language still echoed in my head.

It reminded me once again of our argument we had, 10 years ago. This was something I tried to bock out, but failed to do so.

I can never forget that argument.

Never.

[7:00 p.m.]

I walked back, slowly, taking my time as I walked towards the grand piano. The guest was standing there, waiting for me, smiling patiently.

"May I ask your name?" He asked as I approached him.

"I am Casey, Casey Nagoya."

"You're dad was an old friend of mine."

"Really!"

"Yes, Kevin and I were best mates in high school."

"Um…sir? Are you Peter? Peter Stevenson?"

"Yes."

I smiled and said, "Well, Mr. Stevenson, I need to go back on duty now. It's nice knowing you." I reached out my hand, hoping NOT for a kiss.

"It is nice knowing you, and finally finding you, Miss Nagoya."

He shook my hand and nodded at me as he put on his black hat. I watched him walk out of the restaurant unaccompanied. Giuseppe had popped out of no where to thank him at the doorway. I sat down on the piano chair, not knowing what to play for the first time.

Oh, Dad, where are you? I miss you so much….

I started playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata again, silently dedicating it to my dad in my head. This was his favourite piece, he told me when I small…

I don't believe he is dead.

I will find him! I'll prove it to you all!

[9:00 p.m.]

I stared at the clock I placed on the piano. 9:00 pm. Jonathon's bedtime.

My eyes were droopy and I tried to stay awake.

Guests were leaving and only a few remained. I ended the piece I had improvised and Jonathon came up to me and wished me "Good night". He looked exhausted, babbling about how good the duel was on and on. Tina had to drag him into the kitchen, I waved at the half-asleep Jonathon and Cindy, who trailed behind her mother. I scanned around, looking for guests until I met a pair of sapphire eyes. Aster was still sitting here, alone!

I still remembered the nervous moment of seeing Pot of Greed, so I turned around quickly to play something. I could feel his gaze boring into my back. I chose to play "Think of me" from Phantom of the Opera.

"Brava! Bravado!" I heard him say. I closed my eyes as I phrased the soprano section and turned to see him standing next to me. I reached the cadenza section, still aware of him standing. I ended with fortissimo and extended the note by adding the pedal.

_Oh crap!__ What does he want now? Please don't ask me about before! Please don't!! Please Please Please!_

"Can I help you Mr. Phoenix?"

"Call me Aster!" He smiled again. I instantly realised why the girls in school were attached to this gentleman. His eyes were extremely tender and his face showed concern.

"I was just wondering…if you were alright, Miss Nagoya." His eyes were still fixed onto my face; he looked apologetic, as though everything was his fault.

"Can you PLEASE stop calling me Miss Nagoya? I would really appreciate if you stopped it, it sounds funny…"

_What am I going to do?_

_t__o be continued....._

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**Please R&R. Thank you!**

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	5. Chapter 5: Complications

**Chapter 5 Complications**

I stood up and gestured him towards the piano.

_What am I going to do?_

He smiled as he sat down fluidly. He closed his eyes, placed his slender fingers onto the ivory keys, drew in a deep breath, and started playing.

The tune was too familiar. He was playing "Playing Love" from "The Legend of 1900". The melody line was extremely sweet and tender; his touch was soft, legato and flowing. This piece was one of the pieces dad had taught me, one of my favorite piano pieces.

Was Aster a psychic?

His looks, talents and manners were too perfect.

Any girl would crave for him to be their boyfriend.

[Aster's POV]

She was standing there, quietly, listening to me playing. She looked pensive and even more angelic with the candle light reflecting off her face.

I have played piano every since I was 3 years-old. "Playing Love" from "The Legend of 1900" was probably the only piece I had in mind. My feelings for her were more than infatuation, I think... I'm not even sure how I felt...

I had ended the piece smoothly.

She was smiling so happily, clapping with enthusiasm. I stood up from the chair and faced her. I took her hand once again, and pressed my lips onto the back of her hand.

"It's a pleasure meeting you," I started, "I hope we will meet again someday."

"We will," she reassured with that beautiful blush on her cheeks, "We will meet again, I can guarantee that."

I smiled and pulled out some change and notes. I stuffed it into the bucket labeled "tips" placed on top of the piano. She looked too surprised. "This is too much! I can't have it all!"

"Keep it." I said firmly. "Good bye then."

I walked towards the door and waved, she still looked confused when she gave a long, deep bow.

I headed towards my silver Mercedez-Benz, wondering why Satorius had left in such a hurry and where he went.

As I sat into the drivers' seat and shut the door, my thoughts trailed to her.

Casey Nagoya.

My face had heated up when I thought back to what I did, kissing her hand, showing off on piano (I'm hoping the paparazzi didn't find out). This was all new to me. I never had any feelings to any girl before, except today.

Am I in love?

[Casey's POV]

[10:00 p.m]

He had given me an absurd amount of cash. And he wouldn't want it back! The tips bucket was heavy today. I was happy that the hard work paid off, I was finally a bit closer to saving for Medical School (Very expensive).

Aster was the last guest, so I went to changed back into my school uniform, placing my usual uniform back into it's usual place, knowing how reliable Tina was with washing. I stuffed the tips into my school bag and searched for Giuseppe when I left the toilet.

Giuseppe had wished me good night, congratulated me and permitted my leave. I told him I'd be coming back next week so he smiled and waved good-bye.

[10:15 p.m]

I walked along the path way of Siemens Park, taking my time, not eager to go home.

As I continued, 2 guys had appeared out of no where and approached me. They seemed drunk and looked disheveled; I could tell easily because of their walking styles, they bumped around the things around them.

I tried to avoid looking and walking past them, but failed miserably.

The two guys had blocked the path completely.

"Hey babe! Wanna hang out?" One of the guys had spoken, sounding drunk. I pretended not to hear them and pushed past them quickly. They roared with laughter and started following my footsteps.

"Oh come on baby! Come to Davy!" The other guy had yelled behind me. I started to run along the path heading towards Siemens car park.

They were running after me, their footsteps and drunken laughter echoed in the empty park. I was fully sprinting now, towards the other side of the car park, knowing there was a convenient store were I could take refuge from these insolent people. I was panting badly, and my sprint started to decelerate.

"Come on sugar! Give me a kiss!" The man named Dave had caught up to me and grabbed my wrist. I tried to shake it off, to get him to release me, but failed.

I moved onto plan B.

"Oww!" Dave had yelled as I kicked him in the groin, hard. He instantly let go and as I was about to run, the other guy had blocked my path and wrestled me into a half-nelson. I tried my hardest to escape by stomping really hard on his foot and kicking his shins but he just snickered.

"Let go of me! Let go!" I shouted as he dragged me towards an old and dirty car.

"Let's have some fun tonight, sugar!" The guy wrestling me had whispered in my ear seductively, ignoring my useless pleas. The smell of alcohol irritated my nose. I did not know what he meant by "fun", but I was sure it wasn't going to be good.

Just when the guy was trying to force me into his car, a silver Mercedez suddenly appeared, fully smashing into the back of the old car, deliberately. I was unharmed, but the guy who was wrestling me had instantly let go and shouted numerous swear words (very colorful!) as he ran towards the wreckage. His companion was still holding his groin, half-lying on the ground.

The silver Mercedez had stopped in front of me, door open. I hesitated and climbed into the car quickly when the drunken guy was running towards my direction, swearing loudly.

As I slammed the door shut, the car instantly accelerated away from the car park. I caught glimpses of both guys yelling and pushing each other, fighting. I turned around to look at my savior, who was already studying my facial expressions carefully.

_t__o be continued....._

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**Please R&R. Thank you!**

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	6. Chapter 6: Saviour

**Chapter 6 Saviour**

[Aster's POV]

None of the music in my car and on my radio could compare to the magnificence of the music she had played earlier. I closed my music and thought in silence as I drove towards Siemens Park, heading towards Domino City (which was really close by)

As I drove past the car park, I stopped instantly as I watched a girl struggling to free herself from a man's grip. She was smart, kicking the man in the groin. Unfortunately, the person's companion had wrestled her into a half nelson and attempted to force her into a dirty red car that had no nameplate.

As I drove towards them, I recognized the girl. It was Miss Nagoya, Casey.

Anger filled me as I slammed my foot on the accelerator, colliding and causing an enormous dent in the old car. Casey had frozen in shock as she stared at the wreckage; I pushed open the door and watched her hesitant movement. As soon as she shut the door, I accelerated away. She was in shock, rigid in her sear, frightened as she turned around.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down. She nodded her head slowly, still frightened and shocked. Her face was like an immobilized angel, paler than before. I stopped near a pathway, she was breathing in deeply, her eyes closed. I squeezed her shoulder.

"Thank you for saving me," she said, quietly. "If you weren't there...I would've been..." She stopped, not willing to finish what she started.

"You would've been hurt." I summed up for her. The thought of her being hurt by two drunken bastards was just...unbearable. My heart throbbed at the thought.

"Thank you," she said as she opened the car door. I instantly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into her seat.

"I'll drive you back home." I told her as she gave me a confused look.

"That really won't be necessary...," she stated, trying to leave. My grip tightened. "I insist."

She murmured her address reluctantly. I was glad she made no further objection. As I slowed down to stop in front of her house, I asked her "Can you promise me something?"

"That depends."

"Can you promise me to never walk past that park again?"

"I guess I can complete that," She replied as she stepped out of the car. "Thank you and good bye."

"And get some sleep, you look exhausted." I added. She smiled a sad smile and waved at me as I maneuvered out onto the road.

[F.F 11:00 p.m]

I opened the door of my room and stepped inside. I took off my jacket and was secretly glad that no duels commenced on weekends. I flung myself onto my king-sized bed and recapitulated on the long night.

What a night! I thought back to the incidents, drifting off to sleep, still thinking about her and wondering why she intrigued me so much.

* * *

[Casey's POV]

I waved, reluctant to see his silver Mercedez out of the car park and disappearing in the darkness.

Home. House. Residence. I sighed as I opened the front door quietly. Ryan, Regina and Ronald, my stepfather, stepsister and stepbrother (respectively) curled up on the couch at the living room, watching television on our 36-inch plasma.

Light was blaring from the room. My mother was out, as usual. Partying at the pub, coming back home drunk and exhausted. I walked silently upstairs, trying to avoid them from noticing me coming back from work.

My room was on the far side of the house upstairs. I had to walk past Ronald and Regina's room to get to my own, which was normally locked to prevent them from entering and stealing my limited possessions.

Ronald had recently joined the pro-league (mainly due to bribery by my stepfather, he had little skills in dueling). As I walked past his room, I saw his duel disk and deck scattered all over the ground. I felt sorry for his deck, felt angry at his ruthless treatment to his possessions and I felt useless.

There was nothing I could do. I kept on walking.

Regina, my stepsister was older than me despite the fact we are both seniors at the same grade. She was considered as one of the popular girls in school and had spread countless dirty rumors about her friends and teachers she detested.

As you can imagine, Regina was into fashion. Her room was fully of expensive clothes, accessories, make-up (lots and lots) and fashion magazines.

Like Ronald's, Regina's room was as messy and objects were as scattered as though it was a pigsty.

My room was the smallest out of all 6 bedrooms. Fortunately, it included my own washroom so I would not need to share with anyone. I locked the door once again as I stepped into the little room. I dug out my piggy bank, stuffing my tips into it while I was adding. I tried to be as quiet as I could while counting. As soon as I finished, I put my piggy bank back into the secret place in its original position.

An envelope in black, tied in red satin ribbon fell out of my bag. I decided to open it tomorrow. It was signed "P.S." on the back with an elegant script.

I assumed it was from Mr. Stevenson.

I took a quick shower and changed into my pyjamas.

As I lied down on my single bed, I thought about my father, wondering about his whereabouts, and how he used to mention about his best mate, Peter.

My thoughts started trailing to Aster. Aster Phoenix.

He had helped me achieve a lot today. He had helped me escape from those troublesome drunken men who attempted to kidnap me. I still remember how soft, how tender his eyes were when he asked me if I was all right, twice in a row. I owe him too much, but I did not know how to repay him and when!

His manners had startled me, the part where he kissed my hand heated up, so did my face.

I was exhausted, so I closed the lamp and closed my eyes as I lay down. pictured his handsome face, smiling at me as I drifted off to sleep.

_t__o be continued....._

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**Please R&R. Thank you!**

* * *


	7. Chapter 7: Coincidence

**Chapter 7 Coincidence**

[6:00 a.m.]

I woke up at my usual time and started eating breakfast. I had a habit of eating early, so I would not need to eat with my so-called 'family'.

If I ate with them, Regina and Ronald would start sneering and bothering me. My mother was never eating with us; Ryan just treated me as though I was invisible. I never fitted in this family. To me, it was never a family. This house was never home, just a temporary residence.

I had promised myself, when I have enough savings, I would leave this house and rent an apartment, never to return.

My mother had never been there when I needed her. She never attended any of the awards evening or performances I participated, never congratulated me on my academic achievements and she always forgot my name. ALWAYS.

Unfortunately, she had inherited all of my dad's possessions and sold them to auctioneers when dad had disappeared. She tried to convince everyone that dad was dead, that he somehow died mysteriously. I was no fool. These lies will never shake my determination.

_As soon as I move out of this house, I will find dad._

_I will search all over the world if I had to_ I kept reminding myself.

I dried all of the dishes and walked upstairs, locking myself in the room again. I took out my chemistry homework and started working on calculating molecular mass.

* * *

[Aster's POV]

I was reading my duel schedule for monday. Satorius had emailed me and he had highlighted my first match for the day, against a newcomer, Ronald Richardson.

There were rumours about him, about how his father, Ryan Richardson (I think) bribed members of the pro-league to let his son into the duelling business.

I smirked, I decided to show the newcomer how duelling really was done. He played a darkness deck and I was certain that he had little skills, probably worse than Slifer newcomers did in DA (Duel Academy) judging from the statistics and his match winning percentage.

My phone was ringing. I picked it up.

'Hello! Aster Phoenix speaking!'

'Hi, Mr. Phoenix!' A bright and cheery voice had answered. _A student, about my age,_ I guessed.

'I am Robert Winfrey, Captain of Sporting in Siemens Institutional College'

My head perked up as I heard the name of the college.

Siemens Institutional College.

S.I.C.

The same words on the college logo Casey was wearing on her blazer. Robert Winfrey was still talking.

'…My other colleagues were wondering if it was possible if you could attend our interview later this week for our assignment.'

As I asked for details, I couldn't stop thinking where I would see Casey.

In the crowd? Perhaps…?

'My colleagues will contact you as soon as the date is sorted out! Thank you Mr. Phoenix!'

I hung up, getting excited as I imagined spotting Casey in her school.

I headed downstairs to my grand piano plying 'Für Elise' while humming the tune.

* * *

[Casey's POV]

I finished all my homework, completed most of my assignments and already read the materials for next weeks' course.

Curiosity took the better of me, so I decided to open Mr. Stevenson's letter.

I untied the red satin ribbon and opened the letter. it smelt like roses, my dad's favourite flower.

_Dear Miss Casey Nagoya_ it wrote

_My sincere apologies for not contacting you a bit earlier. Finally, it has taken me great effort to find you at Siemens City. Complications have aroused and I must communicate with you urgently, otherwise all hope will be lost._

_Please contact me as soon as possible._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Peter Stevenson_

The writing was flawless, written in a scripture so similar to my dad's, so neat and even, unlike my scrawl.

Complications? Must talk to you urgently? What did he mean by '_It has taken me great effort to finally find you_'?

I decided to ask him face to face, so I dialled his number he enclosed on the rose smelling parchment.

_t__o be continued....._

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**Please R&R. Thank you!**

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	8. Chapter 8: Mission

***Yawn* Hello everyone! This is chapter 8 and those of you from Quizilla might realize that this chapter was not posted on the site because I experienced some "technical difficulties"... I am feeling so tired...and sick...my eyes hurt so much and I've got a horrible runny nose, but I'll be fine!(I hope)**

**I'd like to thanks those who have posted some reviews, especially Chausten who has provided a lot of details and notes that I have to watch out. You see, English is not my first language and I am trying to improve it so I can get a better grade in English at school. I know that is not a valid excuse for my mistakes but I can promise you that I will try my best to make you all understand my writing!**

**Happy reading!**

**Yoshi (I really hope I get better soon...I think I've already killed thousands of trees...forgive me, trees...)**

**

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**Chapter 8 Mission**

[Aster's POV]

Robert Winfrey's colleague had sent an email regarding the interview and it included sample questions. The questions were straightforward, most were about careers and ambitions. I was quite surprised that the questions didn't include anything 'personal'.

_Dear Mr. Phoenix:_

_We sincerely thank you for accepting the invitation for coming to our school's yearly assignment interview. The date for the interview is xx/xx/xxxx xx a.m. to xx p.m. at Siemens Institutional College the Administration Building. _

_A school map attached on this email will provide you the direction of the building as well as the parking place. Furthermore, sample questions enclosed in this email are to prepare you for the interview._

_Once again, we thank you for the acceptance._

_From _

_S.I.C Captains_

_R.W._

_D.M._

_C.N_

25 questions in total! I grabbed a pen and started writing down answers beside the questions. _Was this a private interview or a public one?_ I wondered.

_4-hour interview...wow! This assignment must be important!_

My phone was ringing, and I was sure whom it was.

'Hello Satorius!'

'Hello Aster. Your duel is in 1 hour. You better start making it towards Kaiba Dome'

'Tell me something, Satorius,' I said as I walked towards the door, 'Am I going to win, or am I going to lose?'

'Have you researched on your opponent, Ronald Richardson?'

'Yes,' I answered as I locked the door behind me, 'He is a new member to the pro-league. I also heard rumours about his entry.' I added.

'What kind of rumours?' Satorius asked innocently.

'Such as... How his father, Ryan Richardson, you know, the famous shareholder, how he bribed the committie to let him in,' I answered, 'you already know about this!'

'Aster, I need you to do something this time,' Satorius had said slowly and carefully. I opened my car door.

'Don't tell me you want me to flunk this duel like I flunked the duel with Jaden!' I sat down angrily, slamming the door behind.

'No, no Aster, calm down.'

I breathed in deeply, 'Then what is it?'

'I need you to teach Ronald a good lesson,' Satorius had answered slowly. 'He is being unjust to someone. Are you familiar with his family members?' Satorius had suddenly asked.

'Huh? What does his FAMILY have to do with being unjust? I thought he loved his family, especially his stepmother!'

'Tell me, how many people consists in Ronald's family, including his stepmother's side.'

'There's Ryan, his father, Regina, his sister, Camilla, his stepmother and that's it!'

'You've missed one person, Aster.'

'Okay, Okay Satorius!' I stated, 'All you want me to do is to teach Ronald a lesson on being unjust to whoever I missed out!'

'Precisely,'

'I really gotta go,' I said as I pushed the key in the keyhole, 'I'll win the duel. See you later pal.'

'Good bye Aster.'

I started the car and headed towards the front gate. _Whom did I miss out? Who is the other family member that I missed?_ I wondered as I accelerated towards Kaiba Dome.

* * *

[Casey's POV]

I watched as Regina squealed on and on about Aster Phoenix.

'OMG! OMG! I get to see Aster close up today! He's so hot!'

'Yeah you'll see him beaten up like crap!' Ronald had shouted, as he tore down one of Regina's limited Aster Phoenix poster on the wall, were many other posters were stuck too.

'Stop it! STOP IT RONALD! DADDY!' Regina screamed with her shrilly voice.

I covered my ears as I walked back upstairs, where unfortunately, Ryan was heading down.

Ryan was walking down, wearing a new purple tuxedo.

'Hey you!' He said as he grabbed my shoulder roughly, as we passed each other. 'Don't try to steal anything! You hear me?'

'Daddy! Hurry up!' Regina and Ronald's voice cried in unison.

'You better be grateful I've adopted you,' Ryan shook me hard, again. 'If it weren't for my greatness and generosity you would've been living like a hobo, on the streets, eating rubbish!'

I winced as his stubby fingers pressed hard into my shoulder, onto my old scar.

'I can't wait any longer daddy!' Regina cried again. 'I want to see Aster NOW!'

'Coming darling! I'm just sorting out the PEST!' He gave me a threatening look with his beady eyes as he shouted back.

'You better watch your attitude, PEST!' He continued to threaten as he walked down the stairs.

'Yeah Bitch! Watch it!' Ronald added. Regina roared with laughter as she slammed the door.

I smiled as I heard the red BMW drive away from the house.

At last, my own time without any distractions! I ran upstairs and set up my laptop computer (which was normally hid under my bed along with many other valuables) to check my shares and emails.

I, too, was excited about the duel. I loved dueling! My father used to teach me all about dueling......... I even had my own deck! That was until Ryan came and banned me from dueling! He even confiscated my deck!

I clicked on the website and watched the live broadcast of the duel between Ronald...and Aster.

_to be continued....._

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	9. Chapter 9: Justice

**Chapter 9 Justice**

[Aster's POV]

I stood in the dueling area, waiting. White smoke was swirling around me, covering my appearance. My opponent, Ronald Richardson was already late for 20 minutes.

'...with 10 more minutes, Richardson will undergo disqualification from this duel! Will he appear or not?' The speaker sounded bored, trying to catch the audience's attention. I was feeling bored myself.

I could hear the discontent criticism coming from the audience.

'Did you miss me, Aster?' A voice sneered from the far side of the arena. As the smoke swirling around me started to separate, I watched a black figure moving towards the opposite dueling position. Ronald Richardson, around 25 years-old emerged from his thick black cloak. His hazel eyes were in silts, glaring at me with a villainous smile. His hair was gelled up into chaotic spikes pointing everywhere at any direction.

Behind him was his family. His sister was pointing at me rudely with her index finger stretched out. She had unnatural blonde hair and extravagant curls covering her heavily foundationed face. Mr. Richardson was wearing a purple tuxedo with matching shoes, which clashed with his curly brown hair. Ronald's sister was waving at me, moving her arms widely, desperately trying to catch my attention. She looked like an octopus squirting ink. I pretended not to see her frantic actions by scanning around the dome. I have NEVER seen the dome this empty before.

'Aster, are you scared?' Ronald continued to sneer as he attached his duel disk on his arm. 'I promise not to beat the crap out of you!'

'Let's get this duel started,' I stated, giving him one of my cold glares.

'Duel!' We both yelled in unison.

[Casey's POV]

[15 minutes]

15 minutes had only just past and Ronald was heavily behind at 100 LP (Life Points for short...haha I'm lazy XP) in contrast to Aster who still had 4000 LP.

It was Aster's turn now. He drew a card and activated it straight away, without any hesitation.

'I activate the spell," Pot of Greed"' He yelled out, 'This allows me to draw 2 additional cards and add it to my hand.'

'That's CHEATING!' Ronald yelled out. 'You can't have that card in your deck.'

'Yes I can! That card is in every dueling deck,' Aster stated confidently, his expression was as cold as ice.

'That's cheating!' Ronald continued yelling childishly, 'That card's ability isn't that anyway!'

'What is it then?'

'It allows you to destroy your opponent's monster!'

Aster was fully laughing. The critics that remained were laughing. Even the speaker was laughing at Ronald.

'Stop laughing,' Ronald yelled, 'Stop laughing! All of you, SHUT UP!'

I could not help but to grin at the horrified Ronald on my computer screen. There was no way he could argue against Aster, prodigy of duel monsters.

Ryan looked troubled as he realized his son had made himself a laughing stock in front of critics and the entire dueling nation.

'You need a dictionary,' Aster was laughing too much, on the verge of tears. 'Speaker, can you please give Mr. Richardson the definition of "Pot of Greed"?'

'"Pot of Greed" is the card, where activated, allows the duelist to draw 2 more cards and add it to his or her hand without any sacrifices.'

'Do you understand now, Mr. Richardson?' Aster asked as he regained his composure. Ronald was livid. His face was dark red from embarrassment.

'I'm leaving,' He mumbled. 'This is bullshit!' He yelled at Aster as he yanked off his duel disk roughly. Ryan stood up instantly and shook Regina on the shoulder to wake her up from her dreamy stance.

'Due to Mr. Richardson's early leave, the duel goes to Mr. Phoenix!' The speaker announced as Ronald walked off the stage.

'You better apologize,' Aster yelled out, 'To that person you called a fraud! I saw it all!' Ronald glared back under his black hood at the exit. His eyes were serpent-like as he turned around and walked towards the exit.

I closed off all windows and shut down my computer. Aster was great, like usual, except I did not understand what he meant by the last part.

_You better apologize, to that person you called a fraud_

_I saw it all..._

His voice echoed in my head as I pondered over those words repeatedly.

_I saw it all..._

Chapter 9 Justice

[Aster's POV]

I stood in the dueling area, waiting. White smoke was swirling around me, covering my appearance. My opponent, Ronald Richardson was already late for 20 minutes.

'...with 10 more minutes, Richardson will undergo disqualification from this duel! Will he appear or not?' The speaker sounded bored, trying to catch the audience's attention. I was feeling bored myself.

I could hear the discontent criticism coming from the audience.

'Did you miss me, Aster?' A voice sneered from the far side of the arena. As the smoke swirling around me started to separate, I watched a black figure moving towards the opposite dueling position. Ronald Richardson, around 25 years-old emerged from his thick black cloak. His hazel eyes were in silts, glaring at me with a villainous smile. His hair was gelled up into chaotic spikes pointing everywhere at any direction.

Behind him was his family. His sister was pointing at me rudely with her index finger stretched out. She had unnatural blonde hair and extravagant curls covering her heavily foundationed face. Mr. Richardson was wearing a purple tuxedo with matching shoes, which clashed with his curly brown hair. Ronald's sister was waving at me, moving her arms widely, desperately trying to catch my attention. She looked like an octopus squirting ink. I pretended not to see her frantic actions by scanning around the dome. I have NEVER seen the dome this empty before.

'Aster, are you scared?' Ronald continued to sneer as he attached his duel disk on his arm. 'I promise not to beat the crap out of you!'

'Let's get this duel started,' I stated, giving him one of my cold glares.

'Duel!' We both yelled in unison.

* * *

[Casey's POV]

[15 minutes]

15 minutes had only just past and Ronald was heavily behind at 100 LP (Life Points for short...haha I'm lazy XP) in contrast to Aster who still had 4000 LP.

It was Aster's turn now. He drew a card and activated it straight away, without any hesitation.

'I activate the spell," Pot of Greed"' He yelled out, 'This allows me to draw 2 additional cards and add it to my hand.'

'That's CHEATING!' Ronald yelled out. 'You can't have that card in your deck.'

'Yes I can! That card is in every dueling deck,' Aster stated confidently, his expression was as cold as ice.

'That's cheating!' Ronald continued yelling childishly, 'That card's ability isn't that anyway!'

'What is it then?'

'It allows you to destroy your opponent's monster!'

Aster was fully laughing. The critics that remained were laughing. Even the speaker was laughing at Ronald.

'Stop laughing,' Ronald yelled, 'Stop laughing! All of you, SHUT UP!'

I could not help but to grin at the horrified Ronald on my computer screen. There was no way he could argue against Aster, prodigy of duel monsters.

Ryan looked troubled as he realized his son had made himself a laughing stock in front of critics and the entire dueling nation.

'You need a dictionary,' Aster was laughing too much, on the verge of tears. 'Speaker, can you please give Mr. Richardson the definition of "Pot of Greed"?'

'"Pot of Greed" is the card, where activated, allows the duelist to draw 2 more cards and add it to his or her hand without any sacrifices.'

'Do you understand now, Mr. Richardson?' Aster asked as he regained his composure. Ronald was livid. His face was dark red from embarrassment.

'I'm leaving,' He mumbled. 'This is bullshit!' He yelled at Aster as he yanked off his duel disk roughly. Ryan stood up instantly and shook Regina on the shoulder to wake her up from her dreamy stance.

'Due to Mr. Richardson's early leave, the duel goes to Mr. Phoenix!' The speaker announced as Ronald walked off the stage.

'You better apologize,' Aster yelled out, 'To that person you called a fraud! I saw it all!' Ronald glared back under his black hood at the exit. His eyes were serpent-like as he turned around and walked towards the exit.

I closed off all windows and shut down my computer. Aster was great, like usual, except I did not understand what he meant by the last part.

_You better apologize, to that person you called a fraud_

_I saw it all...  
_

His voice echoed in my head as I pondered over those words repeatedly.

_I saw it all..._

_t__o be continued....._


	10. Chapter 10: Flashbacks

**Hey guys! :D**

**It's been over a year now D: and I'm pleased to announce that I will hopefully be writing and updating as much as i can now since I have time (it's not exam period yet).**

**I apologize if it took so long for this story to continue as I was completing my last year of high school last year and I wanted to do as well as I could to get into the degree that I wanted to do study - Medicine. However, this plan has not been successful and I have instead been enrolled into a double degree with Commerce (Finance) and Science (Biomedical Science).**

**It's funny how I thought that, one year from then, I would be happily announcing that I entered Medicine and would be one more step closer to becoming a ****Pediatrician :(**

******I am studying Commerce/Science and may consider entering Medicine through a graduate path.**

**A while ago (probably like two weeks ago D:), I wasn't quite sure if I should've continued with my stories, so I updated my profile (please check it out) and made a poll for you (the awesome readers out there) to have a look and give me some feedback on whether I should do so :O and if not, who would be willing to pick up stories (it's a shame to leave them unfinished :( ). HOWEVER, I have got only 1 VOTE D: and so, I decided to just post up some parts of the story I previously wrote and to inform you guys of what is going on D:**

**Well, I'm thankful that there are still people out there who are anticipating for the update of this story.**

**Thank you so much.**

**Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this story! A review at the end would be very much appreciated!**

**And please don't forget to give me some feedback and suggestions :D! Messages are very welcomed!**

**THANK YOU!**

**_Yoshi2112_**

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**__**

**Chapter 10 FLASHBACKS**

Aster's POV

While I was waiting for Ronald to draw, one of the most mysterious things happened.

One minute I was staring at a frustrated-looking Ronald and the next, I was staring at a fragile looking girl who was involved in a duel with a younger looking Ronald.

I recognized him because of his bad sense of fashion as well as the developing villain-looking smile. A younger looking Ryan was sitting next to Ronald, watching the duel intently with his sister, who was playing with Barbie Dolls.

"My draw!" The girl shouted. Her voice was extremely familiar... I glanced at the card she drew.

Pot of Greed.

"Are you stupid or not? Play your card!" Ronald started yelling at the girl. I moved towards the center of the table to watch the progress of the duel. My eyes widened as I recognized the young girl.

Casey. A much younger Casey was sitting right in front of Ronald.

"I activate the spell 'Pot of Greed'," the younger Casey stated.

"This card allows me to draw 2 more cards..." She continued as she reached for her deck.

The next moment was outrageously surprising. Ronald had suddenly reached forward and smacked Casey's hand hard. Her deck of cards was flying all over the place. Her hand had turned red, her eyes had widened as she stood up instantaneously.

Anger, infuriation and outrage filled me as I watched the loathsome creature roar at the poor angel.

"That's cheating! You can't put that card in your deck! You're insane! You think you're so smart! **Pot of Greed** doesn't work that way _at all_!"

Ryan was smirking, watching his son below at the girl.

"Young lady, don't try to be smart with us. Ronald knows _everything_." Ryan added proudly.

"My dad told me it was right! I've even checked the duelling guidelines book and the card. Look!" I watched as Casey showed them the card.

"You think you are so smart! You're daddy is D-E-A-D! Hahaha!" Ronald laughed gleefully. I eyed him detestably.

Casey's eyes welled with tears.

"He's not dead!" She shouted back with as much force. "He's not dead and I will prove it to you!"

"You're a liar." Ronald shouted back as he snatched the card from Casey's hand and tore it to shreds. "You little bitch! Even if you had this card, you will never be able to beat me! NEVER!"

Tears were streaming down Casey's cheeks as she watched Ronald stomp on her cards, bending them, kicking them around.

"Ohhh! Lookie here! Phoenix of Patronize!" Ronald exclaimed as he picked the card up from the ground.

Casey looked devastated. "Ronald! Give it back to me! Give it back!"

"No." Ronald answered stubbornly. "I like it so I'm keeping it."

I watched as Ronald picked up all Casey's cards and handed it to his dad.

"Now, no duelling for you! EVER!" Ryan had shouted at Casey.

"That is for being a know-it-all. You hear me?" He shouted at her. I watched as he pushed her onto the ground and hit her hard across the face. The family left the room with Casey sobbing with bruises and cuts covering her arms, legs and face.

I watched as she winced when she touched her shoulder. It was strange; I suddenly had a strong urge to hold onto her, to tell her that everything is okay, to tell her that I would protect her. However, before I could walk towards her, I heard a cry of a phoenix and suddenly I was back in the real world.

Time had not passed at all; Ronald was still staring dumbly at his cards.

I had another mission to complete.

"My draw," I stated coldly. The card I drew was…

_**Pot of Greed**_

This was incredible. Was it possible that this plan happened before I knew?

This cannot be a coincidence…

It was too good to be a coincidence.


	11. Chapter 11: Phenomenon

**Hi everyone! :D **

**I hope you guys had a wonderful week and have finished your commitments (whether it's assignments or revision) before reading this story! (YES! I have finished mine :D I'VE BEEN A GOOD UNI STUDENT!)**

**There's one thing I would like to mention though: I have been considering long and hard, but I can't help myself but to have the urge to rewrite this story. **

**This story was the first ever story that I wrote and published online (firstly in Quizilla, and now in ). I have some attachment to this story, and this determination to finish it (even if it will deviate from some of my original ideas).**

**I have to admit, now, as I read the parts I have written previously (2 – 3 years ago) I felt quite horrified at how bad my grammar and spelling mistakes were D: the story line wasn't that great either. So, due to these problems, I have decided that I would like to rewrite and re-edit this story.**

**Another thing I realized was: I'm terrible at writing in first person D: but I will keep on continuing for the sake of improving!**

**So, I sincerely apologize for putting you guys through some horrible writing, and I hope you guys will look forward to the new and edited versions. **

**So, as I promised before, I'll be updating at a regular pace this year since I have more time now. So, I now present to you another chapter of **_**My Angel of Destiny**_**. I will hopefully start re-writing the previous chapters while writing new chapters!**

**Just in case you guys are ever bored – visit me on my tumblr at .com (link on my profile as my homepage)**

**Hope you guys will enjoy it, and please review! **

_**Yoshi2112**_

* * *

"Oh wow, you look _terrible_," was the first thing Rob said as he entered the meeting room. Dean nodded in agreement behind him as they walked into the room and sat down in at the table. I gave them a tired smile.

"Well at least I'm nice and early, unlike a certain _someone_ who always makes us wait because of his sports matches," I retorted.

Rob shrugged, "well, no one's perfect you know. And I am the sports captain after all. Stop mentioning it whenever I'm late, Case. At least I don't look like a zombie who just came out from the grave. LET ME EAT YOUR BRAINS!" he playfully roared as he did an imitation of a zombie, and rolled his eyes back, showing the whites of his eyes. I just laughed. The reason why I was not able to sleep was simply because I was thinking too much – thinking too much into what Aster had said to Ronald yesterday.

_What did he mean by that?_ I felt extremely confused. My head was throbbing from thinking too much.

"It's not like you to procrastinate your assignments, Casey," said Dean as he set up his laptop, snapping me out of my thoughts, "and yes, you do remind me of a zombie, sort of like that game I designed last year. What were you doing exactly?"

"_Thanks_ guys," I muttered, "I couldn't sleep last night. Had too much things to think about…and so I ended up not sleeping at all." Rob and Dean both shook their heads in disapproval. I rolled my eyes – they seemed to be disagreeing with me in lots of things lately. "Fine! You guys win; I'll go to sleep early today. Happy now? Let's get down to business…"

It was just a few weeks away from our interviews with the selected candidates for our assignment – the school was buzzing in excitement when the candidates were released; preparation for their arrival was already on the go, new infrastructures were built, even souvenirs were being developed specifically for this moment!

"Hey Casey," said Dean, after a few hours of work, "don't you have work today?"

"I cancelled with Chef Marconi the other day, since we had to sort these questions out today, so I guess we could probably stay until midnight if we don't finish on time." I laughed and smiled at their shocked faces, "I was just joking, _seriously_!" I added, when Rob gave me a skeptical look.

"So, what are we supposed to do today?" he asked, innocently.

Dean and I both sighed.

This was surely going to be a long, long day.

* * *

_8:00 p.m._

The chilly night wind grazed against my cheeks as Dean and I walked out of the school gates; it was hard to resist the urge to run back into the school, back into the brightly lit, and nicely heated rooms, with soft chairs, hot chocolate… I wrapped my scarf around my neck tighter without strangling myself. Unfortunately, I had to get back home and start working on the interview questions since we did not finish them – Rob dashed off to train some of the junior teams for the upcoming basket ball competition (as an excuse), and so, since Dean and I were unable to complete anything else (all was left was Rob's work to be done), we ended up heading home.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride with me?" Dean offered kindly, "it's really late and all. Do buses even operate at these times?"

"Sure they do," I said, "you should try catching some more often. Besides, I'll just be a nuisance for you; we do live in different sides of Siemens after all." Siemens city itself was

"That's your car right?" I asked as I spotted as a shiny silver limousine arrived, a door opened, and Dean's butler, Trevor, stepped out to welcome his young master. Dean took a step forward, but then hesitated, and stepped back. He was just about to open his mouth and ask another question, but I interrupted him quickly explaining how I had other things to do (such as going to the library to study).

"Well, okay then, if you say so. I'll see you tomorrow," he said cheerfully. "If you need any help, don't hesitate to call me!"

I smiled and watched as the silver limousine drove away, and waved back to Dean. Then I started heading to the direction of the bus stop.

As I sat down in the little compartment, I suddenly felt extremely uneasy. As though someone was observing my each, and every move. I stood up, and spun around quickly, trying to catch the culprit.

The roads on both sides of the dimly lit roads were empty.

I sat back down again, praying that the bus would arrive soon.

* * *

_8:30 p.m._

So, half an hour just passed by, and I still sitting in the same compartment, waiting for the bus to come. It was supposed to arrive 20 minutes ago! It was getting colder and colder by the minute; I felt extremely frustrated. My fingers were numb, my face started to itch a little from frostbite, and my legs trembled.

'_Great! Half an hour._ _I could've walked home during that much time._' So, I decided to just walk home, since I needed to warm myself up with the exercise and didn't have much patience.

"_Can you promise me to never walk past that park again?"_ Aster's voice echoed in my head. His blue eyes were so sincere…

I hated not being able to keep promises. So I had to choose to walk the longer route – around the outskirts of Siemens Park.

Freakishly enough, I felt someone was following me, so I sped up my pace.

'_I will never ever EVER walk alone during this time at night!_' I quietly promised myself as I started to panic a little, '_what if the same incident happens again as last time?_' My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a burst of colour in the sky right above the park. The sky swirled with clouds with colours of red and gold and landed in what seems to be the middle of the park. Rays of light burst out from the flooding and blinding my eyes with rays of light.

Then, this unknown occurrence started attracting every single bit of light from the lamps on the side of the roads. I pulled out my phone and watched as it ran out of battery in no less than a few seconds, and I had only just charged it a at school, a few hours ago.

My mouth fell open. What on earth had just happened? I hurriedly rushed towards the park, heading towards the place where the light had originated as it started to dim, softly. As I prepared to carelessly jump into the bushes, a loud scream made me lose my concentration, and I scraped my knees painfully onto the stone-embedded ground as I landed. My stockings were ripped open, and my skin exposed to the cold winds.

Worst of all, the light that I was searching for had disappeared.

'_Oh great, now I have to buy more stockings._' I sighed at my carelessness as I dusted dirt from my skirt. My knees stung a little. The light had now disappeared and I was in the middle of darkness inside some random bush. The power failure had not been fixed, and my phone remained dead.

Thankfully, there was moonlight to rely upon as I trudged through and found the pathway inside the park. As I was just about to run away from the place quickly, I heard some soft chirping sounds coming from the opposite direction. It didn't take me a long time to find the origin of the chirping sound; there, I saw a little black bird on its back on the soft grass with one of its wings dislocated.

"Should I just let Natural Selection look after you?" I asked the bird, and then I laughed, "Why am I asking you when you can't even understand what I'm saying to you?"

Its beady eyes stared at me innocently, and then it chirped happily again.

It was such a friendly sound.

"Alright, alright, you win," I said as I knelt down, untied my scarf, and wrapped it carefully around the injured bird, "I'll find you a vet and you'll be set free again. Okay?" The bird chirped, and I just assumed that it somehow understood what I said.

I heard a soft crack in the bushes, the sound of someone approaching us. I swallowed hard and hugged the bird plus scarf closer to myself. My knees were shaking, not just from the cold, but also from fear.

'_Please don't let it be those guys…'_

The footsteps were getting closer, and I was still paralysed with fear, unable to move from my kneeling position…

_to be continued..._

* * *

**Please R&R. Thank you! :)**

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	12. Chapter 12 Pursuit

**Hi everyone! :D **

**It's been a pretty good (productive-ish) week for me, how have you guys been?**

**Today's chapter is going to be in **_**Aster's**_** point of view (yay!), which is something we haven't had for quite a long time.**

**Hope you guys will enjoy the newest chapter of MAOD, and please review (I love replying to new reviews!) **

**Oh, I also want to mention, I might be doing another GX fanfic, but this time, our protagonist will be none other than **_**Chazz Princeton**_**! This will be my first comedy (I think I need to change genres and write a little bit of everything – my stories right now are quite serious D: )**

**The story will probably be set in a few years after GX and will focus on his pro league career :D Of course - our beloved Aster will be in the story as well (but as a minor role)! I am unsure as to when I will be able to write this story (since I have 2 fanfics that I have still yet to complete), but don't worry! I'll try my best! :D**

**Enjoy~!**

_**Yoshi2112**_

* * *

_Recap: Last time on MAOD_

I heard a soft crack in the bushes, the sound of someone approaching us. I swallowed hard and hugged the bird plus scarf closer to myself. My knees were shaking, not just from the cold, but also from fear.

'_Please don't let it be those guys…'_

The footsteps were getting closer, and I was still paralysed with fear, unable to move from my kneeling position…

* * *

_Chapter 12 Pursuit _

It was past eleven in the morning when a call woke me up. Pro league duels usually ended late, and so, I was never a morning person. I sat up grumpily in my bed, head still groggy, and I reluctantly reached over to the other side of the bed to pick up the call.

"I'm sorry for waking you up so early, Aster," Sartorius said, in his usual, soft tone, "I just wanted to ask you how your duel with Ronald was."

"I won of course," I laughed, "there was no way Ronald would win against me! I am ranked as the fourth best duellist in the world after all. It was no sweat at all."

"Did you find out a little bit more about his family?"

I frowned, "Sartorius, I was under the impression that you weren't able to predict the future anymore."

"I can't, I just do my research well."

I smirked at his comment; Sartorius was indeed incredible at doing his research through various sources. Even though that his ability to see the future has gone, his ability in research emerged and compensated for it…

"And?" his voice interrupted my thoughts. "Did you find out anything interesting?"

"Funnily enough, I did," images of the sudden flash I had back during the duel replayed continuously in my mind, and even in my sleep, "Sartorius, I think I-"

"Oh yes," he interrupted me mid-way, once again, "you should act upon what ever you're thinking," he added supportively. I smiled, and was extremely glad that he could return to the original way he was after the Light of Destruction had possessed him.

"Oh, another one of my sources tell me that there will be a black out tonight, be sure to go home early."

I frowned at his comment, what did he mean by that? "Where did you get that from?"

"My most reliable source of course. I'll leave you to do your thing then, good bye Aster."

"Hey-" before I was about to ask him something else, he hung up. I guess he probably wanted me to investigate further about Ronald Robertson, and his ties with that little girl…

_Casey Nagoya_

I could feel my face turn slightly pink; each time I thought about her, and her brown, honest eyes, my heart would skip a beat. There has never been a girl that has made me feel this way…

It was an incredibly familiar feeling…

_Was this normal for meeting someone for the first time?_ I wondered. _Of course not, Aster._

Everything just seemed so strange; it was too bizarre to comprehend. And I bet Sartorius knew something – but he was unwilling to tell me about it.

_There is some major investigation to be done._

With that thought in mind, I raced downstairs in my pyjamas.

_The paparazzi sure would like to see me in my pyjamas right now._

I checked my duel schedule for the next few days – thank god there were no consecutive duels in the pro league. It was a spare day for me; a good opportunity to visit and ask Casey questions. But where would I be able to meet her?

One name popped instantly into my mind.

_Expressivo Appassionata_

* * *

_7:00 p.m._

I deliberately arrived later than last time. As usual, _Expressivo Appassionata_ was packed with people. I glanced towards the side of the piano, expecting to see her, but the piano covers were on, and the seat was empty. Just when I was about to rush off, I felt a tug on my shirt.

"Mr. Phoenix, what are you doing here?" asked Cindy, Jonathan's shy sister, "are you here to visit Jonathan?"

Her eyes were full of hope – it would have been awful of me to turn her down. So I said, "Sure! Why not?" and followed her inside the restaurant. I avoided eye contact, just in case I met people that I knew, which would have resulted in explaining what I was doing.

"_MR. PHOENIX_!" I heard Jonathon scream my name when he spotted me. I could feel all of the eyes in the restaurant were on me – but I was already used to that feeling already. Jonathan ran, tripped, picked himself up, and finally jumped onto me. I had to steady myself so Cindy, who was on my side, wouldn't be squashed to bits. I laughed as Jonathon and Cindy were fighting over whom I would be sitting next to. Kids were truly adorable.

"NO! Mr. Phoenix is sitting next to me!"

"No, I was the one who bought him here!"

"I want to duel him again, go with play with your dolls!"

"No!"

I was just about to say something, but was quickly interrupted by Chef Marconi.

"Mr. Phoenix! How nice of you to drop by again!" he smiled widely, reminding me of Santa. "Would you like to join Jonathan and Cindy for dinner?"

"Please?" both Jonathan and Cindy said in unison. Their green eyes shone in excitement.

_I guess Casey would have to wait. _

"Sure! Why not, I was just about to find a nice place for dinner…" my words were drowned in Jonathan and Cindy's argument once again as we walked towards a table full of food.

* * *

_8:00 p.m._

"Jonathan, have you done your homework?" Tina, Jonathan's mother asked him as she sat down next to us. Jonathan gave her a sheepish smile, and then looked back at his cards.

Tina shook her head at him, "Jonathan, go and do your homework now."

"But mom, Mr. Phoenix is here! I want to duel him!" he pouted; his eyes were watering quite dramatically. Tina shook her head once again, and gently nudged him out of his seat. I watched as Tina escorted a sad looking Jonathan upstairs. I laughed and packed my cards away.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was warm and inviting, Chef Marconi had lit up all the candles and the air faintly smelt of lavender. I never really noticed, but there were quite a number of couples present in the restaurant.

I guess the only thing that was missing was her music…

"Mr. Phoenix?" I turned towards Cindy. She was eating her corn soup quite slowly; thin foam was already forming on the top.

"Yes, Cindy?" I said, with a smile. She smiled back, shyly.

"What's love?" she asked, in a cute, but very serious tone.

"Uh…" I stammered, feeling the heat coming to my face, "It's a very special feeling!" _Why was a kid asking me this sort of question?_

"Do you love duelling?" she continued. Her eyes were wide with curiosity.

"Yes I do," I answered truthfully. "Duelling means everything to me! What do you love, Cindy?"

Cindy thought about it for a while, and just when she was about to answer, Tina came back.

"Cindy," she said, "time to go for your bath now!" Cindy, unlike her brother, stood up without another word. I was slightly surprised when she rushed forward, gave me a tight hug, and then ran off.

"She's such a good girl," Tina murmured as we both watched her head upstairs without any delay, "Jonathan is a good boy too, but he's such a big fan of yours, he can't give up the chance of meeting you."

"He's getting better at duelling," I complimented, "one day, I'm sure he'll make a great duellist."

Tina smiled wistfully, "Giuseppe and I were hoping that he would inherit the family business, but I guess that's a little too early to think about." I nodded in agreement. "So, Mr. Phoenix, what is your true purpose for being here today?" she added. "You're here to see Casey, right?"

I coughed to cover my embarrassment. "How did you know?"

"Well, Mr. Phoenix, that's because you kept on staring at the piano," Tina said, "it just so happens Casey isn't going to come today."

"How come?" I felt shocked; it seemed extremely out of character for her to wag work.

"She called in the morning saying that she had to help out at her school for the upcoming interviews at Siemens College as Captain. She's such a busy body," laughed Tina, "but since she only does it rarely, it really is alright for her to take a day or two off. Our whole family adores her." She ended with a smile.

"What's her real family like?" I asked, trying to sound as natural as I could, without sounding too inquisitive. Tina's expression instantly darkened.

"She's not an orphan, she lives with her step family, but they aren't exactly the nicest people in the world." Tina looked at me sadly, "Mr. Phoenix, you do know that this story isn't exactly mine to tell?"

We both sat in silence. The sound track that was playing in the background and chatter around us could not fill in my curiosity about her.

"She first came in when she first started junior high to audition as the pianist here," continued Tina, "I still remember her little figure as she entered this restaurant." She smiled. "Giuseppe and I only just started this business back then, and we were looking for workers.

"She is a lovely person, with a lot of talent, Mr. Phoenix," Tina interrupted me, still musing, "sometimes, you just wish that someone like her, who has gone through so much, would have a happy ending…"

"I'm sure she would," I stated, in my most confident voice.

I decided, no matter how hard it was going to be, I wanted to be one of the people seeing this becoming reality.

Even if I had to overturn destiny.

_to be continued..._

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**Please R&R. Thank you! :)**


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